I'm a big music nerd. Always have been. I grew up in a dinner theater, thanks to my mother who ran the box office, and was exposed to lots of different music pretty early on. I also played the clarinet for many years, and seriously considered a career in music for a while. Instead, I've become a quilter who is seriously dependent on music. I make playlists for free-motion quilting, playlists for pressing, playlists for piecing, playlists for hand binding, playlists for machine binding...I think you get the drift. My iPod is filled to the brim these days!

For me, music is the key to smooth FMQ. It not only helps me focus, but it helps me keep my stitches even. I've spent the last couple of days FMQ'ing and hand binding two quilts, and made a new playlist I thought I'd share with you all, after Colleen asked what was on my playlist.

18 comments:

Cool post, Elizabeth! Will have to give all of these a listen tonight and make my own just-for-quilting playlist. I admit I usually do it in silence...oh sweet silence that I so seldom get to experience when the kids are around! I am lulled by the purr of the machine, much like when I run I prefer to listen to the rhythm of my breathing than music, then there is also nothing to mark the time so it seems to go by faster. But I would totally enjoy some tunes as I quilt! Thanks for sharing :)

So glad to see Florence on someone else's playlist! I always sneak some Amanda Palmer into mine. And lately I've been really getting into Josh Ritter. Especially 'Kathleen' (which is old but still fabulous). And Damien Rice is usually playing at some point in my studio.

Music is a must for me especially when quilting! My go to is my Adele pandora station, with alot of songs similar to your playlist, and if I feel like dancing around a little as well I'll cue up my lady gaga station :-)

1) Only Love by Anthony Green (seriously, I just can't get enough of it)2) Synthesizers by Butch Walker and the Black Widows (you have to see the "official" you tube video with Matthew Mcconaughey - so funny)3) Free by Graffiti64) Bottom of the River by Delta Rae5) Sweet Sour by Band of Skulls (their Baby Darling album is fab, too)

So those are just some of the newer songs I've been listening to. I also almost always have to have The Other Side by Bruno Mars, and Apologize by Timbaland on the playlist, too. And I could listen to Chris Cornell's album Scream all. day. long. (and I have, too.)

I haven't listened to your list of songs (and hope my songs are somewhat compatible), but I'm looking forward to it. Always looking for a new great song.

I always listen to music when FMQ too- but more of the vintage persuasion. My BF and I are music nerds too- but we collect records (we have thousands) and the record player is in my sewing studio- so I always lay down some vinyl when I sew. Nothing better to me then the crackle and pop of a real record. I think getting up to change the vinyl gives me scheduled breaks to stretch and refocus. I usually choose a "9 patch" of records, and line them up just like the block- in the order I want them- and go from there, depending on the day it might be classic rock, jazz, folk, classical, or even musicals. From the Grateful Dead to Billie Holiday you never know what you might hear in my studio, but having tons of choices always keeps it fresh, and keeps me happy! Thanks for your post on this, I think music is key for good FMQ!

It's funny, I grew up surrounded by music too, was in choirs, and sang in all sorts of places, including the Royal Albert Hall, but when I went to uni it all went away, so now it's mainly BBC Radio 1 in the mornings in the bathroom, and in the car when I'm going places. I have an iPod with days worth of music on it that comes out in the office when it gets a bit loud around me, but when I'm sewing it's the TV and DVDs all the way!

I love 2 Cellos version of Smooth Criminal....thanks for all these other musical taste treats! My son was in orchestra growing up (cello) and has very eclectic tastes - including the Beatles, Beach Boys, Peter, Paul & Mary and Joan Baez thanks to my influence.

LOL, yeah, you sure do need XM Radio. : ) Almost everything here is on the Spectrum's playlist. I'm especially loving Kassidy and Eric Hutchinson! I'm not familiar with 2Cellos or Young the Giant, I'll have to check them out. Fun post!

This is a great post! Thanks for the effort to create it and share the music videos. My husband and I are relatively new to longarm quilting. He likes to quilt to the TV. I like music, but I struggle with what makes me relax and go with the flow. Thanks for sharing. Some of these are going in the mix! Too much fun . . .

Oh my god! You must be my long lost twin. I have a soundtrack in my head. Most times, I can hear the perfect song to accompany whatever is going on in my life. And I could swear that people in my life are just missing their cues, because they ought to be breaking into music from time to time a' la musical theater. I also have two full iPods. In fact, I just switched to a laptop I carry with me that carries the 240 Gb's of music I must carry with me at all times. Music nerd, indeed. I also must have music when I quilt, I plug my two iPods into a base unit that shuffles through them both alternately.

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